The one brand that should be doing NIL

Author

Tariq Ahmad
October 15, 2025

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In-N-Out Burger logo (Photo Credit: Logos World)

While there are thousands of brands who have tapped into NIL and working with college athletes over the past four years, there is one brand that sticks out to me that should be in the space:

In-N-Out Burger.

If you’ve ever been to California (where they are headquartered), you know that In-N-Out is a staple in the area, and most locations have long lines of customers at nearly all hours of the day.

Company owned. No franchises. Simple menu. Simple ingredients. Delicious. (At least to me.)

What’s not to like?

Therefore, In-N-Out Burger should begin tapping into NIL.

Why?

  • Rabid fanbase

    • As aforementioned, if you’ve ever been to In-N-Out, there are always people waiting to order - both inside and in the drive-thru. Plenty of people who eat there frequently or visit a location for the first time tend to post about in on social media moreso than other fast food chains.

    • Therefore, with people already loving the brand, it makes sense for In-N-Out to further build their reputation by working with college athletes in areas where they have restaurants.

  • Growing presence

    • While In-N-Out is primarily located in California, they have locations in eight other states - most notably Texas.

    • With Texas and other states having notable P4 presences, it makes sense for the brand to broaden their reach and collab with these student-athletes. (And turn consumers into fans of the brand.)

  • Falling behind

    • While In-N-Out is not currently partnering with college athletes, they are getting lapped by numerous fast food establishments who are.

    • Popeye’s, Sonic, Freddy’s, and Raising Cane’s are among those collaborating with college athletes on NIL initiatives.

On the other hand…

  • Do they NEED to be in the NIL space?

    • In-N-Out is already a very established brand - and they are thriving without the use of college athletes in their marketing campaigns. So they may not see the value of NIL and college athletes.

    • After all: Apple doesn’t do NIL deals because they don’t need to. (You can also argue that Raising Cane’s and Popeye’s also don’t need partnerships with college athletes - yet they choose to as it provides value to them and the athletes.)

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